For the first time, the Bucks County Wine Trail is gathering all of its member wineries and a cidery at a single location for the inaugural Bucks County Pour Tour.
The event is scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 2, from noon to 4 p.m. at Bishop Estate Vineyard and Winery in Perkasie.
The festival gives attendees the opportunity to sample from six local wineries — Aviator Vineyard and Winery, Blind Fox Vineyard, Buckingham Winery, Crossing Vineyards and Winery, Rose Bank Winery, and host Bishop Estate — alongside hard cider from Manoff Market Cidery.
Each ticketholder will receive a commemorative wine glass to use at seven designated tents, with at least four samples provided at each station.
Glass and bottle purchases will also be available for on-site consumption or to take home.
Discounted tickets can be purchased online for $25, while admission at the door is $35. A rain date has been set for Sunday, Aug. 9, from noon to 4 p.m. Advance tickets will be available through July 31.
Kevin Bishop, owner of Bishop Estate Vineyard and Winery, said the format of bringing all the small businesses to one location addresses a long-standing logistical challenge for the Bucks County Wine Trail’s visitors.
“You just can’t hit seven of them in the same day. There’s just not time and it’s a distance,” Bishop said. “We decided to have them all at one spot.”
In addition to the tastings, the afternoon will feature live music, multiple food trucks, and a vendor fair with more than 50 merchants open exclusively to ticketholders. Craft beer will also be available for purchase.
Bishop said the Bucks County Pour Tour is a complete day trip for attendees.
“You can take another couple and do a couple tastings, get a bottle of wine, get something off the food truck, bring your lawn chairs or blankets, sit down and enjoy,” Bishop said. “It’s just a whole day. It’s going to be really nice.”
Organizers are encouraging guests to bring their own seating, as no chairs will be provided on the event field.
“For the price, it’s affordable, and it’s a fun thing,” Bishop said. “Just make sure you bring your lawn chairs and blankets for the field.”
While Bishop Estate is hosting the debut event, organizers plan to rotate the festival to a different member winery each year if the format proves successful.
The host winery is situated on a farm that has been in the Bishop family for 109 years. Its current buildings have been converted from their farming purposes to use by the winery.
Showing off the craftsmanship, Bishop said the primary wine processing room previously served as a dairy barn, and the event field was once a cow pasture. He recalls his family delivering fresh milk to local customers.
The Bucks County Wine Trail operates as a collective of local wineries collaborating to market regional wines and elevate awareness of the local industry. The trail currently consists of seven members and receives partial funding through grants, including a recent award from the Pennsylvania Winery Association, which is being used to market the new event.
According to Bishop, the organization’s primary objective is to maintain visibility within a competitive marketplace.
The festival, Bishop said, looks to reach local wine enthusiasts and consumers who may be unaware that the county even has local wineries.
When establishing Bishop Estate, Bishop and his wife, Cindy, aimed to help elevate Pennsylvania’s status as a wine-producing state.
“Not just us, but just to help promote it and get it out here,” Bishop said. “For years, there weren’t a lot of wineries in Pennsylvania. There’s over 400 now.”
Bishop noted that Bucks County is located within a global wine belt and is capable of growing high-quality grapes.
Advance tickets for the Aug. 2 event at Bishop Estate Vineyard and Winery remain available online.